Industry News

On April 27, 2017, the President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing Commerce Secretary, Wilbur J. Ross, to expedite the Commerce-initiated investigation into the national security implications of all imported aluminum. Begun under the authority of Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act, this investigation could result in increased tariffs on all aluminum imports, regardless of their country of origin, if they are found to constitute a national security threat.

While the scope of this investigation is yet to be fully clarified, a Commerce press release refers to “high purity aluminum”, and the memorandum includes it in a list of designated core industries: vehicles, aircraft, and shipbuilding.

The statutory deadline for Commerce’s investigation is 270 days, by which date the Department will submit a report to the President detailing its findings and offering recommendations.